


A New Day

by Luneth



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, Male My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, Post-War, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luneth/pseuds/Luneth
Summary: Claude and Byleth take a day off from their duties to spend time with each other.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 14
Kudos: 41





	1. Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ficsnfun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficsnfun/gifts).



> This was a fic made for ficsnfun! The request was basically Pure Fluff so...here is all the fluff I could shove into it. These two are fun.

Byleth awoke to the sun on his face, and his husband’s arms wrapped around his chest.

“G’mornin sunshine,” a lazy voice tickled at the back of his ear. “My beloved, my companion, the ultimate guiding light of my life.” Claude finished his speech of sweet nothings and promptly dropped his face into Byleth’s neck to deliver a merciless raspberry. Byleth in response hooked his arm under Claude and in a flash rolled them both around so he now sat on the small of Claude’s back, legs pinning his arms.

“Aw no fair,” Claude twisted his head away from the sheets to complain. “Proficiency in grappling, no fair, no fair!”

“You started it with a sneak attack.” Byleth ruffled his hair before easing off him. “Everything is fair in battle.”

“Yeah yeah.” Claude rolled over to grin up at him. “Well, we have a big day ahead of us. Should we get to it or- now hear me out- stay here in bed?”

“Mm...” Byleth stretched his arms up over his head, then let them drop. “...Breakfast.” Claude laughed.

“The king consort has spoken!” He hopped up out of bed. “I think I can smuggle some pastries out of the kitchen. It’s our day off, and I decree no having to talk to stuffy officials.”

“They could use a day off from you as well,” Byleth noted. Claude snorted.

“Lucky for them. You’re going to be stuck with me all day.” He gave him a lighthearted peck before trotting off for the door, grabbing a shirt off of a chair on his way out. Byleth cracked a yawn behind his fist, then swung his legs out off the bed as well. It was rare for them to have a day off. Best to make the most of it.


	2. Afternoon

A secluded little pond in the middle of the forest was their own private getaway. Byleth sat on the flat stones by the shore, fishing rod in hand. Sweat prickled on the back of his neck, but the summer heat couldn’t distract him from his focus on the bobber in front of him. He sat perfectly still, eyes trained on the surface with all the intensity and focus of a pitched battle.

He heard the draw of a bowstring behind him, but paid it no heed. A second later an arrow flashed by in the corner of his vision to hit its mark on the surface of the lake. A fish floated to the surface without a single twitch; the arrow had pierced it dead center in the head. Byleth’s own lure bobbed and disappeared under the water. With an expert flick he yanked a bullhead out of the water, and it joined the pile in the basket beside him.

“You’re scaring the fish,” Byleth told Claude as he waded into the river to collect his prize.

“We’ve got enough.” Claude lifted the fish up as he headed back to shore. “I bagged a pheasant too.”

“Alright.” Byleth set his fishing rod aside, then pulled his shirt up over his head. Claude cocked an eyebrow as he tossed his fish into the basket.

“Are you hot or is this an attempted seduction?”

Byleth answered by launching himself straight at Claude, whose indignant cry was cut off as they both crashed into the water. 

“Rascal!” Claude gasped as his head popped back above the surface. “Betrayed! Betrayed by my own husband!” He swept his hair back out of his face and stood up, squeezing water out of his shirt. 

Byleth stood up beside him; the water only came up to their waists. He gave a faint smile, then his gaze sharpened and his head darted over to the side. He held one hand up and Claude went still. Very slowly, Byleth turned halfway around, then pointed at the surface of the water. His hand glowed for a brief second before a thin arc of lightning burst from his finger to strike the water a few meters away. A moment later, a large salmon floated to the surface. Byleth straightened up and began to slosh over to retrieve it. Meanwhile Claude propped a hand on his hip and rubbed at his head, watching him with an expression of disbelief.

“Did you seriously just use Thunder to catch a fish?” Claude shook his head. “I’ve seen you take down demonic beasts with that magic, and now you’re using it on a fish?” Byleth returned to him, holding his catch under one arm.

“What about it?”

Claude clapped his hands together and pressed them to his mouth, studying Byleth with a furrowed brow.

“...You are incredible,” he declared, “in a way that is sometimes terrifying.” Byleth just shrugged.

“Does that mean you don’t want any?”

“I didn’t say that.”

They roasted the fish for lunch, saving the others for dinner (along with tossing a few to Claude’s well-deserving wyvern). As the food cooked over the campfire, the two of them lay on the grass together, drying off in the sun. Claude chatted about this and that, while Byleth nodded or hummed occasionally in response. He never felt to need to force conversation with Claude. He could just sit back and listen to his lilting voice and clever words.

It was during a lull in the conversation, when Byleth was just starting to doze off, that Claude rolled over to toss and arm over him, resting his head against his chest. Byleth absentmindedly reached over to toy with his hair; he couldn’t bring himself to complain about the dampness on his skin.

“Still not used to it,” Claude murmured, “but you seriously don’t have a heartbeat, huh?”

“My heart is a stone,” Byleth answered simply. Claude hummed in response.

“Yep.” He tapped his fingers down Byleth’s ribs. “I said it before, but sometimes I still can’t believe it, that someone like you could exist.”

“Someone without a heart?”

“Among other things. The heart is more of a minor detail.” He gave a light laugh. “I’ll never forget that moment when you ripped through reality with the sword of the creator, leaped into existence with this... _ brilliant _ green hair.”

“Mm.” Byleth stared up at the sky. “That was a long time ago.”

“Remember the painting Ignatz did of it?” Claude rolled over to look up at the sky with him. “The one with all the fire and stuff?” Byleth grimaced, and Claude’s grin widened. “Aw, it looked cool.”

“Hmph.” Byleth curled his fingers into Claude’s curls, playing with the soft texture. “What time do we need to be back?” Claude huffed.

“We aren’t kids with a curfew. We can stay out as long as we want.” He crossed his arms and closed his eyes with a pouting expression. “-but I’d say we have at least until sundown before Judith goes sending a search party after us.” Byleth nodded, looking thoughtful.

“I would hate to trouble her,” he mused aloud, “I better have you back before nightfall, then. It’s only proper.” Claude snorted.

“And what other right and proper things shall we do until then?”

“Hm…” Byleth traced a hand down his neck, trailing one finger over his collarbone. “Did you have something in mind?” Claude opened his eyes to give him a wide grin.

“I can probably think of something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did they make out? Did they cuddle? Did they do something you probably shouldn’t do out in the middle of the woods? You decide.
> 
> You may be concerned about using Thunder magic while up to your waist in water, but Byleth was being very careful, don't worry.
> 
> Things that Byleth has used to catch fish:  
> -Magic  
> -Bare hands  
> -Sword of the creator  
> -His cape  
> -Claude’s cape  
> -Bare teeth  
> -A Lost Item that had been riding around in his inventory for a while.


	3. Evening

Dinner was a feast for two, eaten on the roof of the castle above the hustle and bustle of the city. Full and satisfied, Byleth sat up on the ramparts, watching the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. He heard the door open and close, signaling Claude’s return, and twisted around to look.

“Behold!” Claude grinned as he held aloft a bottle of wine, still corked. “The finest you’ll have from Almyra to Brigid.” He thumped down beside Byleth and drew his dagger out of his belt, wedging it into the cork to tug it out. After a bit of scowling and poking, where the cork remained securely fastened, he eventually sighed and passed it on to Byleth. Byleth shoved his own dagger into the cork and yanked it out with a satisfying pop. He took a long swig as Claude laughed and pulled out some carved bowls.

“I brought cups, you savage.”

“Mercenary code: if you open the bottle you get the first swig.”

“You definitely just made that up.”

Byleth just hummed as he poured out some wine into Claude’s cup. Claude meanwhile produced some fruit pastries from his bag. “Ah, the ultimate bridge between all cultures:” He announced as he held up the baked treat. “Food and drink.” He presented it to Byleth with a flourish and a bow, then laughed as he took it and crammed the whole thing into his mouth. 

“You could give Raphael a run for his money.” Claude reached out to brush some crumbs off his cheek. “Aw, my little hamster-cheeked husband.” Byleth gave him a stern look, or at least attempted to with his mouth still stuffed. Claude chuckled and pulled his hand back. 

“Don’t give me that look. My heart can’t take it.” 

“Mm…” Byleth sat back and licked some sugar off the corner of his mouth. “I’ll forgive you then, since it’s been a nice day.”

“A nice day indeed.” Claude grinned and raised his cup. “Happy Anniversary, oh light of my life, progenitor god incarnate. May we live to see many more, and spend them just like this.” Byleth gave a faint smile and nodded, raising his cup as well.

“...Sometimes I find it strange,” Byleth’s smile faded into his usual thoughtful expression as he set his cup down, then turned his attention back out to the sky. “To think, after all that had happened, we would be able to have days like these.”

“That was our goal, wasn’t it?” Claude sat back on his hands. “This is what we fought for.”

“...It’s nice.” Byleth said simply. Claude grinned and nodded.

“Yeah, it really is.”

Claude scooted over to wrap an arm around Byleth’s waist, and Byleth in turn rested his head against his shoulder. The sun was going down, and the both of them were growing tired. Tomorrow would be another day, but for now, they still had a few moments here and now. 

And so, they looked out at the peaceful world they had built, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even when you are the two rulers of a literal continent you can take time to celebrate your anniversary. Also a perk of having a god-boyfriend who was also a merc is he can open things for you.


End file.
